The present invention relates to methods for making semiconductor devices, in particular, semiconductor devices with metal gate electrodes.
MOS field-effect transistors with very thin gate dielectrics made from silicon dioxide may experience unacceptable gate leakage currents. Forming the gate dielectric from certain high dielectric constant (K) dielectric materials, instead of silicon dioxide, can reduce gate leakage. As used herein, high-k dielectric means having a dielectric constant higher than 10. When, however, a high-k dielectric film is initially formed, it may have a slightly imperfect molecular structure. To repair such a film, it may be necessary to anneal it at a relatively high temperature.
Because such a high-k dielectric layer may not be compatible with polysilicon, it may be desirable to use metal gate electrodes in devices that include high-k gate dielectrics. When making a CMOS device that includes metal gate electrodes, it may be necessary to make the NMOS and PMOS gate electrodes from different materials. A replacement gate process may be used to form gate electrodes from different metals. In that process, a first polysilicon layer, bracketed by a pair of spacers, is removed selectively to a second polysilicon layer to create a trench between the spacers. The trench is filled with a first metal. The second polysilicon layer is then removed, and replaced with a second metal that differs from the first metal.
If in such a replacement gate process a high-k dielectric layer is formed after a polysilicon layer is removed, it may not be possible to apply a high temperature anneal to the high-k dielectric layer. It may not be possible to apply such an anneal to such a layer if a silicide has been formed on the transistor's source and drain regions prior to polysilicon layer removal. In addition, such an anneal may not be feasible if a high temperature intolerant metal has been formed on a first high-k dielectric layer prior to depositing a second high-k dielectric layer. For example, if a high temperature intolerant metal has been deposited on a first high-k dielectric layer to form the gate electrode for an NMOS transistor, then a high temperature anneal cannot be applied to a subsequently deposited second high-k dielectric layer, which will form the gate dielectric for the PMOS transistor.
Features shown in these figures are not intended to be drawn to scale.